I am a tool addict. Seriously! I do love tools. There is always something out there that can make a task easier, faster or just more fun to do. The joy of feeling a nice, beautiful, well crafted tool in your hand is just enormous. Well, most task in metal smithing can be accomplished by tools our ancestors already used. Nobody really needs more than a file, saw, torch and maybe some simple casting equipment like a self-built brick oven and a sling shot. But hey, live is too short to waste time with simple tools if it can be done faster some other way.

The last tool splurge I did brought me my casting equipment with a vacuum caster and a kiln. So thats covered. Next on the list would be a bench mate system to be able to hold those rings while giving me both hands free for the stone setting.

If I really dream high I would love a 3d printer. One of those high resolution printers that built a wax or resin model that were designed and modeled in a 3d software. Those are still expensive. I would have to make 3d modeling my specialty to ever justify such a splurge. Until then I will stay with my hand tools and send out the 3d models to a printing house.

One more affordable printer would be the Thing-O-Matic from Makerbot. It's definitely not a high resolution printer but it just looks nerdy enough to be a great addition to my studio. But since I am short on space and have no time to figure out how to set it up and get a good use out of it, I just keep dreaming. I wonder if the cute blue bunny comes with the kit, hmmm...